Romans 2:17

The Condemnation of the Jew

2:17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law ¹  and boast of your relationship to God ² 

Romans 2:24

2:24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” ³ 

Romans 6:3

6:3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Romans 9:19

9:19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?”

Romans 11:13

11:13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

Romans 11:20

11:20 Granted! ⁴  They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!

Romans 11:30

11:30 Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience,

Romans 13:6

13:6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities ⁵  are God’s servants devoted to governing. ⁶ 

Romans 15:5-6

15:5 Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another ⁷  in accordance with Christ Jesus, 15:6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:29

15:29 and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

Romans 15:32

15:32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.

Romans 16:1

Personal Greetings

16:1 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant ⁸  of the church in Cenchrea,

Romans 16:20

16:20 The God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

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¹ sn The law refers to the Mosaic law, described mainly in the OT books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

² tn Grk “boast in God.” This may be an allusion to Jer 9:24.

³ sn A quotation from Isa 52:5.

⁴ tn Grk “well!”, an adverb used to affirm a statement. It means “very well,” “you are correct.”

⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the governing authorities) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Grk “devoted to this very thing.”

⁷ tn Grk “grant you to think the same among one another.”

⁸ tn Or “deaconess.” It is debated whether διάκονος (diakonos) here refers to a specific office within the church. One contextual argument used to support this view is that Phoebe is associated with a particular church, Cenchrea, and as such would therefore be a deacon of that church. In the NT some who are called διάκονος are related to a particular church, yet the scholarly consensus is that such individuals are not deacons, but “servants” or “ministers” (other viable translations for διάκονος). For example, Epaphras is associated with the church in Colossians and is called a διάκονος in Col 1:7, but no contemporary translation regards him as a deacon. In 1 Tim 4:6 Paul calls Timothy a διάκονος; Timothy was associated with the church in Ephesus, but he obviously was not a deacon. In addition, the lexical evidence leans away from this view: Within the NT, the διακον- word group rarely functions with a technical nuance. In any case, the evidence is not compelling either way. The view accepted in the translation above is that Phoebe was a servant of the church, not a deaconess, although this conclusion should be regarded as tentative.